Trench-digging machine.



No. 743,300. PATENTED Nov. s, 1903. J. H. w. LIBBB. TRBNGH DIGGINGMACHINE.'

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1903. NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ISF C,

110.743,30@ PATENTED Nov. 3, 1903. J. H. W. LIBBE. 4 y

TRENCH DIGGIANG MACHINE.

. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 14, 1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witnesses: Inventor.

TH: Noms FUER; 00,. PHamumcL WASHINGTON, n.

No. 743,300, PATBNTED Nov. s, 1903.

- J. H. W. LIBBE.

TRENGH DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLOATION FILED MAY 14, .1903.

R0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H: nanars PErzns ce.. Pnoouwo. wAsHmam, n. g.

UNTTD STATES Patented November 3, 190g.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN I I. W. LIBBE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LIBBE ENGINEERING ANDCONSTRUCTION CO., LTD., OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, AND TOLEDO,

OHIO, A COPARTNERSHIP.

TRENCH-DIGGING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,300, dated November3, 1903.

Application ined May i4.. 1903.

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. W. LIBBE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Trench-Digging'Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for digging trenches for sewers,watermains,.and

lo the like, and has for its object to provide a machine designed to bemoved in the direction of the extension of the trench on suitabletracks, said machine being provided with a traveling scoop and withmeans for i 5 operating and guiding said scoop whereby the scoop ismoved in a forward direction, or in the direction of the extension ofthe trench, until it has been filled with earth and is then carriedforward, upward, and to the rear of zo the machine, where itis caused todump its contents into the trench to coverup the pipes that have beenlaid or that portion of the sewer that has been constructed. Detailedobjects of the invention relate to z5 a novel construction of track forguiding the course of the'scoop, to novel means for effecting thedumping of the scoop, to novelineans for returning the dumping mechanismto its normal position, to novel means 3o for adjusting the heightlofthe track in a trench to regulate` thedepth of cut of the scoop, tonovel means for causing the forward movement of the machine as a Whole,to novel means for preventing a backward 35 movement of the machine, andto combining with the machine ashoring-frame adapted to be moved by themachine within the trench as the same is extended and thereby to preventthe Walls of the trench from cavingin.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings,in which-mAFigure 1 is a side view in elevation of a complete machine andapparatusconstructed according to myinventiom Fig. 2 is atop 4,5 planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line @cof Fig. l.Fig. lLis asectionon the line zr' w' of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top planview of the shoring-frame and of the lower. endof the scoop-track, alsoshow- 5o ing the drumg and ratchet for raising the track to adjust thecut of the scoop. Fig. 6

Serial No. 157,156. (No model.)

. is a cross-section of the snoring-frame on the line y y of Fig. 5; andFig. 7 is also a crosssection on the line -y y of Fig. 5, but takenthrough the scoop-track, showing the bufferplate and the drum andratchet for raising the lower end of the track.

` Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings. ,Referringnow to the drawings, 1indicates the truck ofthe machine, supported on wheels 2, adapted totravel ontracks 3. Supported on the truck `1 is an engine 4 foroperating the scoop and for causing the forward travel of the machine ina manner hereinafter described.

The engine 4 through the medium of suitable gearwheels drives the shaft5, upon which is mounted the drum 6 for winding the cableV 7, attachedto the scoop 8. The drum 6 is loose on the shaft 5 andis brought intooperation by means of clutches 9, located, respectively, at oppositesides of the drum, and which clutches are operated by means of two' 75arms 10, secured together at their lower ends by means `of a cross-beam11 and having in termediate their ends pins 12, which work incircumferential grooves in the hubs of the friction-clutches 9. In theupper ends of the arms are pivotally mounted trunnions 13, provided,respectively, with right andleft hand threaded apertures designed toreceive correspondingly-threaded portions of a rod 14, having at one enda hand-Wheel 15. By turning this hand-wheel in one direction the upperends of the rods 10 will be brought together, thereby forcing theclutches 9 into frictional engagement with the drum 6, so that' saiddrum will be rotated by the shaft 5, and by turning the hand-wheel 15 inthe opposite direction the clutches 9 will be released fromengagementwith the drum, as will be understood.

The scoop 8 is designed to travel upon a track 16, which, as showninsectionin Fig. 7, is formed of parallel channels 17, having inturnedflanges 18 disposed toward each Y other, and the scoop 8 is suitablymounted upon Wheels 19, which are adapted to travel roo on the lowerlanges 18, the upper flanges pre-` venting the scoop from leaving thetrack.

As seen by Fig. l, the track 16 extends in an upwardly-inclineddirection from the front A end of the machine to a point near the rearend thereof and is supported by means of uprights 20r extending upwardfrom the truck 1. A suitable roof or cover 21 may be pro vided betweenthe tracks 16 to protect the engine 4 and the gearing thereof from dirt,which otherwise might Afall from the scoop S as it traveled up the track16 and interfere with the working of the engine.

At the rear end of the machine the truck 1 is provided with across-shaft 22, which serves to supporta series of radially-extendingarms 23, which at their outer ends are secured to a curved orsemicircular portion 24 of the scoop track. This curved portion of thetrack extends a considerable distance below the truck 1, and at itslower' extremity at 25 has pivotally'connected to it an extension 26 ofthe scoop-track. The extension 26 is made in sections secured togetherat the point indicated at 27, and said extension can be lengthened orshortened, as required, by taking out or putting in sections, accordingto the depth of trench to be excavated. The lower end of the scoop-trackis curved, as indicated at 28, in order to give the scoop the properrake to cause it to enter the soil in-making a out. The rear end of thescoop-track or extension 26 is also provided with a bufferplate 29,between which and a plate 30, sccured to and extending between thetracks 17, are springs 31. (Shown by dot-ted lines in Fig. '7.) Thebuffer-plate 29 is guided by means of rods 32 extending through theplate 30 and through a supplemental bar or strap 33, which is alsosecured to the ends of the beams 17 and is located a slight distanceoutside of the bail 30. The purpose of the buffer-plate 29, with thesprings 3l, is to overcome the shock caused by the bucket as it descendsto the bottomof` the trench, and the purpose of the supplemental bail orstrap 33 is to stop the bucket should the buifer mechanism give wayunder impact of the descending bucket.

In order to elevate the extension 26, I have provided two sets ofmechanisms, one of which is adapted to be operated by a workman in thetrench and the other of whch'may be operated from the machine.

Referring to Figs. l, 5, and 7, the mechanism for elevating theextension from the trench comprises a drum 34, mounted on a shaft 35 insuitable bearings 36, provided at the lower outer end of the extension26, and said drum is provided at one end with ratchets 37, which areengaged by a pawl 38, pivotally mounted on a lever 39, which isrotatably mounted on the shaft 35. A cable 40 is secured to the drum 34and passes upward to and is secured to the machine in a manner presentlyto be described.

Pivotally mounted adjacent to the drum 34 on the scoop-track is acable-guide 41, which may be of any preferred construction and which itis not deemed necessary to illustrate in detail. The operation of thismechanism will be readily understood. When it is desired to elevatetheextension 26, the operator in the trench seizes the end of the le- 4ver39 and raisesit, and this ymovement of the chine will be described.Mounted in suit-v able bearings 42 on the truck 1 is a rockshaft 43, andloosely mounted in a pivotal manner on this rock-shaft is a treadle 44,to the outer end of which is secured the upper end of the cable 40.After said cable has beenpassed two, three, or more times around t-heshaft 5 said cable passes ovei` sheaves 45, secured to the under side ofthe truck 1. In the normal position of the parts shown in Fig. 3 thefrictional engagement of the cable 40 with the shaft 5 will not besufficient to cause said cable to be wound upon the shaft as the samerevolves. If it be desired to elevate the extension 26 vby an operatorat the surface, he will place his foot upon the tre'adle 44 and pressthe same downward, thereby causing the cable 40 to bind upon the shaft5, and consequently as the shaft revolves in the direction indicated bythe arrow the cable will be wound thereon, lifting the lower end of theextension 26, the pull, of course, being upon the drum 34. Thisoperation may be repeated until the lower end of the track has beenelevated the desired distance.

Referring to Fig. l, the manner of causing the scoop 8 to upset anddischarge its contents will be described. 46 indicates a movable sectionof the track 16, which toward its outer end is pivotally mounted'uponone of the uprights 20, as indicated at 47. The cable 7 passes under asheave 48, mounted on the truck 1, near the rear end of the same, andover a sheave 49, mounted in the outer end ot' the tilting section 46 ofthe track. Within the tilting section 46 of the track there is arrangeda stop, which is not shown in the drawings, but which is adapted to beengaged by the wheels 19 of the scoop to prevent further movement up thetrack. This occurs when the scoop has been drawn by the cable 7 to theouter end of the tilting section 46. As the cable 7 continues to bewound upon the drum 6, it follows that the section 46 will be raised atits inner end, or, in other words, its outer end will be drawn downward,and said tilting section and scoop will be caused to assume the positionshown in dotted lines in said Fig. 1, in which position of the parts thescoop will discharge its contents into the trench to the rear of the vOCFIO

portion last eXcavated or, in other words, over the work or pipes 50,which has or have been laid. t

In order to return the tilting section 46 to its normal position inalinement with the track 16, I provide a weight 51, secured to which isa cable 52, which passes over a sheave 53, mounted on the rear upright20, and is secured at its inner end to the frame of the machine,preferably near the upper end of the adjacentupright 20. A second cable54 is secured at one end to the cable 52 and at its opposite end to theunder side of the tilting section 46, near therear end thereof. By thismanner of mounting the weight it will be seen that the pull of theweight 51 is normally borne by the cable 52, attached to the upright 20,and said weight .will not act upon the tilting section 46 until thelat-` ter has nearly reached its tilting position, when the weight willthen be raised by the cable 54. This arrangement permits the easytilting ofthe section 46 and dumping of the scoop.

When the scoop has been dumped and it is desired that it return to thetrench, the hand wheel 15 is turned to release the clutches 9 from thewinding-drum 6, when the scoop 8 will travel by gravity down Vtheinclined track 16 and over the curved portion 24 and down the inclinedportion 26 until it strikes against the buer-plate 29. To raise thescoop, the clutches 9 are brought to bear upon the drum 6, and saidscoop will be drawn upward over its track until it reaches the tiltingposition, in this operation of course excavating a certain amount ofsoil from the bottom of the trench.

The extension 26 is capable of adjustment from about the position inwhich it is shown in Fig. 1 to a position corresponding to the dottedlines in said figure, in which latter position said extension will be atan angle of forty-five degrees to the vertical. In order to move themachine as a whole forward in the direction of the extension of thetrench, I provide the mechanism which will now be described and which isshown in detail in shaft 5 and is then secured to the outer end of alever 63, which is fixed on the rock-shaft 43. Fixed on the outer end ofthe rock-shaft 43 is also a treadle 64.

65 indicates cables which are secured to the drums 58 and which pass toa suitable distance in front of the machineand are secured to fixedbodies, such as posts..

To move the machine along, the operator presses down `on* the treadle64, thereby turning the rock-shaft and through the medium of the lever63 causing the rope 62 to bind upon the shaft 5. As the shaft revolves,said rope will now be wound upon the same, thereby lifting the arm 60and through the medium of the pawl 61 engaging the ratchet 59, causingthe shaft 57 to revolve, and thereby winding the cables 65 upon thedrums and advancing the machine.

When the treadle 64 is released, the arm 60 will drop to bring the pawl61 into engagement with another part of the ratchet,'so that theaboveoperation may be repeated. Thus in a simple and reliable mannerIprovide for moving the machine and for elevating the extension 26 ofthe scoop-track from the same shaft 5, which shaft also operates thewinding-drum.

In order to prevent the machine from moving backward after it has beenadvanced, I f

provide a drag 66, which may be in the form of a beam or log of wood andis yieldingly held in contact with the rear wheels 2 by mean's of acable 67 having a weight 68 suspended therefrom. By thisconstruction-the wheels are chocked as soon as the machine has ceased tomove forward, and thus any backward movement thereof is prevented andthe great strain which otherwise might be placed upon the cables 65 ifthe machine were advancing up an incline is` obviated.

It is one of the important features of this invention to provide aportable shoring-frame movable with the machine, so that the side wallsof the trench as dug are always braced, and said shoring is constantlymoved by the machine in advanceof the finished work, so as not tointerfere with the filling in of the trench. To this end I provide aseries of longitudinal planks 69, which are connected together by meansof brace-bars 70, two sets of such planksand cross-bars being provided,as shown in Fig. 6, and, as shown by Fig. 1, they are closed at theirrear ends by crossplanks 71 to form a frame, the cross-planks 71 alsoacting as a support for the'dirt dumped from the scoop 8 into the trenchto prevent the dirt from passing beyond the point of finished work.

The brace-bars 70 at opposite sides of the shoring-frame are providedwith oppositelyscrew-threaded thimbles 72, which receive thecorrespondingly-screwthreaded ends of rods bles 72 serves to unitethetwo parts of the frame, so that it may be moved bodily as a ICO IIO

single structure. The said shoring-frame is i supported by means ofcables 75,secured'at one end to the truck 1 and at their opposite endsto the ends of brace-bars 76, securedl to l the timbers 69 of theshoring-frame. A bar 77, bolted in a diagonal position to each of themembers of the shoring-frame, has secured to its forward end a chain 78,the opposite end of which is secured to the forward end of the truck 1.By means of this connection the shoring-frame as a whole may be carriedalong by the car as the latter is moved. In practice the shoring-frameis constructed or adjusted to have its rear end slightly narrower thanthe front end, so that it will move ahead with less friction on thewalls of the trench.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Pat.

ent of the United States, is

1. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a track mounted thereon,comprising a forward substantially semicircular portion, and npper andlower rearward extensions, a scoop mounted to travel on said track, andmeans for operating said scoop.

2. In a trench-digging machine, a ear, a track mounted thereon,comprising a forward substantially semicircular portion, and upward anddownwardly inclined rearward extensions, a scoop mounted to travel onsaid track, and means for operating said scoop. n

3. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a track mounted thereoncomprising rearward extensions located respectively above and below thecar, a curved portion connecting such extensions and located in front ofthe car, a scoop mounted to travel on said track, and means foroperating said scoop.

4:. In a trench-digging machine, acar, a continuous track extending froma point below the car forwardly around the same and to the rear thereof,a scoop mounted to'travel on said track, and means for operating saidscoop.

5. In atrench-digging machine, a car, a continuous track mounted on thecar and extending from a point below the car forwardly around the sameand to the rear thereof, a scoop mounted to travel on said track, andmeans for operating said scoop.

6. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a continuous track mounted on andentirely supported by said car and extending from a point below the carforwardly around the same and to the rear thereof, a scoop mounted totravel on said track, and means for operating said scoop.

7. In a trench-digging machine, a car, acontinuous track extending froma point .below the car forwardly and upwardly around the same and thenupwardly to the rear thereof, a scoop mounted to travel on said track,and means for operating said scoop.

8. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a track mounted thereon,comprising a forward substantially semicircular portion, and upper andlower rearward extensions, the latter being vertically adjustable, ascoop mounted to travel on said track, and means for operating saidscoop.

9. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a

track mounted thereon comprisinga forward substantially semicircularportion, and upper and lower rearward extensions, the latter beingvertically adjustable, means for adjusting the height of said extension,a scoop mounted to travel on said track, and means for operating saidscoop.

10. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a track mounted thereon,comprising a forward substantially semicircular portion, and upper andlower rearward extensions, the latter having a curved portion 28 for thepurpose described, a scoop mounted to travel on said track, and meansfor operating said scoop.

1l. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a track mounted thereon,comprising a forward substantially semicircular portion, and upper andlower rearward extensions, the latter being vertically adjustable andhaving a curved portion 28 for the purpose described, ascoop mounted totravel on said track, and means for operating said scoop.

12. In a trench-digging machine,in combination with a car having awinding-drum mounted thereon, and a shaft for turning said drum,'a trackhaving a pivoted rearward extension, and means for adjusting the heightof said extension comprising a rock-shaft having anv arm securedthereto, a cable secured to said arm and passed around said shaft, adrum mounted on said extension and having the opposite end of said cablesecured thereto, means for rotating said drum, means for preventing thecable from unwinding therefrom, and means for turning saidrock-shaft tocause the cable to bind about said shaft, the combination being andoperating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

V13. In a trench-digging machine in combination with a car, a trackhaving a pivoted rearward extension and means for adjusting the heightof said extension, comprising a drum and means for rotating the same,mounted on said extension, a cable secured at one end to the-car and atthe other end to said drum, and means for preventing the cable fromunwinding from said drum.

14. In a trench-digging machine in combination with a car,a trackmounted thereon and having a pivoted rearward extension, means forsuspending the latter from the car, and means carried by said extensionfor varying the length of said suspending medium whereby to adjust theheight of said extension.

15. In a trench-digging machine, a car having a cross-shaft mounted inits forward end, a track mounted on the car, comprising a forwardsubstantially semicircularv portion, and upper and lower rearwardextensions, radial beams mounted on said. cross-shaft and supportingsaid semicircular portion of the track, a scoop mounted to travel onsaid track, and means for operating said scoop.

16. Ina trench-digging machine, a car, a track mounted thereon having anupwardlyinclined rearward extension, a tilting member supported inalinement with said exten- IOO IIO

-ber to upset, and means for returning the tilting member to its normalposition.

1S. In a trench-digging machine in comblnation with a car, a trackmounted thereon having a pivoted tilting member, a scoop mounted totravel on said track, means for causing said scoop to travel over saidtrack and onto said tilting member and thereby to upset said tiltingmember, and means for causing said tilting member to resume its normalposition, comprising a cable secured to a iixed portion of the machineand having at one end-a Weight, and a second cable secured to the rearend of said tilting member and to said first-named cable.

19. In a trench-digging machine, a car, a track, a scoop mounted totravel on said track, a driven shaft, a winding-drum loosely mounted onsaid shaft, a cable secured to said winding-drum at one end and at itsother end to said scoop, clutch members located on opposite sides ofsaid drum and keyed to said shaft, and means for operating said clutchmembers comprising arms connected at one end and intermediate their endssuitably connected with said clutch members and at their opposite endsprovided with oppositely-screwthreaded trunnions, a rod correspondinglyscrew-threaded to engage said tru unions, and

means for turning said rod. y

20. In a trench-digging machine of the type adapted to travel overtracks,"`or the like, means for moving said machine comprising incombination with the driving-shaft, a shaft mounted on the machine andprovided with a drum having ratchet-teeth, an arm loosely mounted onsaid shaft and having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet-teeth, arockshaft mounted on the machine and having an arm, a rope secured totheV outer ends of each of said arms and passed one or more times aroundthe driving-shaft, and means for turning said rock-shaft, said drumbeing adapted to have secured thereto one end of the cable, the oppositeend of which is secured to some iixed object in frontof the machine.

21. In a trench-diggin g machine of the type adapted to travel on wheelsover tracks, or the like, means for preventing backward movement of themachine, comprising a drag connected by means of the cable to themachine, and a weight secured to said cable and (adapted to hold saiddrag yieldingly against the rear sides of said wheels.

22. In a trench-digging machine of the type Y adapted to travel overtracks, or the like, a

shoring-frame supported from and movable by said machine.

23. In a trench-digging machine of the type adapted to move over rails,or the like, a shoring-frame supported from and movable by said machine,and means for pressing said frame outwardly against the sides of the eX-ingly screw-threaded at their opposite ends engaging in said thimbles, ahand-wheel on each of said rods for turning the same, cablessecured atone end to the truck of the machine and at their opposite ends to saidshoring-frame, a bar 77 bolted in a diagonal position to the planks ateach side of the shoring-frame, and a chain secured at one end to theforward end of each of said bars `77 andat its opposite end secured tothe forward end of the machine, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- JOHN H. W. LIBBE.

Witnesses:

DAVID. C. WALTER, T. T. CoLPiT'rs.

IOO

